Sakalai - VEF Riga 84:77 Sakalai have edged closer to the spot in the Elite Division after they
celebrated the victory in the Challenge Cup Final Four. Today Sakalai
defeated VEF Riga in the championship game to clinch the trophy. Sakalai
got the right to take on Nevezis in the battle for the place in Elite
Division.
Evgeniy Kolesnikov (195-G-85) opened the game with 5 points in a row
to set VEF Riga ahead. The Latvian team maintained the lead throughout
the opening frame as
Evgeniy Kolesnikov accounted for 13 points. VEF Riga earned a 28:25
advantage after ten minutes of action.
Arvydas Siksnius (196-F-87, college:
Weatherford JC) fired from downtown to draw things level at 30 early
in the second frame.
Arvydas Siksnius drained another trey just moments later and
Rolandas Matulis (199-C-73) followed with a long bomb of his own to
give Sakalai a 38:33 lead.
Jurijs Aleksejevs (204-C-85) netted 7 consecutive points for VEF
Riga as the visitors denied the deficit. Aleksejevs and Cooper capped
the first half with 4 points as VEF Riga earned a 46:42 advantage. The
Latvian team exploded with four consecutive trebles early in the third
stanza to take a 58:50 lead. Strazdauskas and Labuckas answered with 6
points for Sakalai as they stayed within striking distance. VEF Riga led
by a single point with a quarter remaining 62:61. The teams exchanged
the baskets early in the final stanza before Sakalai unleashed a 10:0
run that featured 5 points from Samenas.
Grigori Shukhovtsov (211-C-83) and
Arvydas Siksnius stretched the margin at 6 points with 20 seconds
remaining.
Jurijs Aleksejevs missed a three-pointer and Samenas sealed the deal
from the stripe.
Vytautas Sarakauskas (204-C-82) and
Arvydas Siksnius scored 14 points apiece to lead Sakalai.
Rokas Uzas (202-F-88) provided 11 points for the winners.
Evgeniy Kolesnikov was impressive with game-high 28 points for VEF
Riga.
Jurijs Aleksejevs delivered 19 points and 5 boards in the loss. Sakalai:
Vytautas Sarakauskas 14,
Arvydas Siksnius 14,
Rokas Uzas 11VEF Riga:
Evgeniy Kolesnikov 28,
Jurijs Aleksejevs 19

SEB BBL: Rytas is the champion!
- Apr 26, 2009

Lietuvos rytas is the first three-time SEB BBL champion after beating
Zalgiris 97:74 (52:49) in the final, held in Tartu.
23 points is the biggest ever winning margin in SEB BBL finals history.
Chuck Eidson (201-F-80, agency:
Court Side, college:
S.Carolina) scored 41 points his career high in SEB BBL and also the
best ever individual performance in BBL finals history. Eidson also had
8 rebounds and dished 8 assists. His shooting percentage was awesome 80
per cent - 16/20! Unsurprisingly, Eidson was named the MVP of the final
game.
Mindaugas Lukauskis (198-G-79) added 14 and
Marijonas Petravicius (208-F/C-79, college:
S.Carolina) 13 points.
Dainius Salenga (197-F-77) led Zalgiris with 26 points,
Paulius Jankunas (203-F-84, agency:
Interperformances) added 11 and Eurelijus Zukauskas 10 points.
After the game,
Chuck Eidson was asked, is it possible to play basketball better
than he did today. The MVP checked the scoresheet and said:
'Well-well...two turnovers, four missed shots. I think, it is possible
to play better.' Then again, he admitted that it was his best
performance ever, considering the importance of the game. Eidson said
that for most of his 41 points,
Marijonas Petravicius is the one to be blamed: 'Marijonas is a
beast. He is my right hand. Without him under the basket i couldn't have
made even half of my shots.'
Rytas made 61% of two-pointers, 10/20 of three-pointers and only 8
turnovers. Zalgiris had quite disappointing shooting percentage - 42% of
two-point shots.
The winners' head coach, olympic champion
Rimas Kurtinaitis was very happy with the way his team performed in
defence. 'We were perfect in defence. Very aggressive. And also very
fast in offence. We stole the ball and made many fast breaks.'
Commenting Eidson's performance, Kurtinaitis said: 'We used the same
offensive set throughout the game. I can't tell you why Zalgiris could
not find the way to understand it and stop us. Then again, if someone
thinks he knows how to stop us, I'd like to see it.'
The fate of the game was decided in the 3rd quarter when Rytas outscored
their opponents 22:6. Until then, the game was even and extremely
high-level. For example, both teams combined 14/24 three-pointers in
first half.
Zalgiris started the game with a storm, going ahead 8:2 and 21:11 as
Salenga had 9 pts, already. Then,
Chuck Eidson took the initiative, scored 9 in a row and Rytas went
ahead 26:25.
In 2nd quarter,
Mindaugas Lukauskis was unstoppable, scoring 11 points.With two
minutes left in first half, Rytas led 48:43 - Eidson and Lukauskis had
combined unbelievable 40 points, already.
After the intermission, the black and red wall was built under the
basket of Rytas and in nine minutes, Rytas allowed the opponents to make
only two shots, outscoring the Greens 20:4 and going ahead 72:53.
Zalgiris made 2/15 shots and 4 turnovers during that decisive period of
the game.
The 4th quarter was a matter of formality as Rytas did not give any
chances of coming back to the game to the opponents.

Lietuvos Rytas won 1st edition of President Cup

President Cup. Finals
- Sep 28, 2008

Final: Lietuvos Rytas- Barons 80:78
Lietuvos Rytas lifts the President Cup as in the Final game the team
overcame Barons 80:78. Thanks to the latter that gave such a battle to
the titan of the Baltic basketball. Steponas Babrauskas
(196-G/F-84) made a lay-up in the last minute to bring the victory for
the Lithuanian team.
Martynas Gecevicius(193-G-88) led the
winners with 19 points. Michailas Anisimovas
(214-C-84) posted 18, while Branko Milisavljevic
(193-G-76, agency: Beo Basket)
nailed 15. Bright finished the night with 17 points in the losing
effort.
Lietuvos Rytas easily opened the game and won the opening tip with 13-3.
Barons had seven team fouls when four minutes left to play in the first
quarter. Hennings lay-up made the result 21:11, while Rytas won the
opening quarter 28:20. In the second period Cukinas made a jump-shot for
Barons, Rytas missed their shot and Berzins added one more three-pointer
for Barons. Then Bright continued Barons offence from the three-point
line and the score is already 35:37 for the Latvian side. The teams went
to the lockers with 50:45 for Rytas.
In the third period Barons spurted again to catch up with the opponents.
Martins Kravcenko
(192-G-85, agency: Interperformances)
nailed two in the end of the period for 64:61. Effective slam dunk by
Henning in the last second of the quarter received tremendous applause
by spectators, 64:63. Both teams went back-to-back in the last frame and
only in the last seconds the Lithuanian team grabbed the win. Steponas Babrauskas
made a lay-up for 80:78 to close the game.Barons:
Bright 17,
Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency:
Interperformances) 9,
Martins Kravcenko 5Lietuvos Rytas:
Martynas Gecevicius 19,
Michailas Anisimovas 18,
Branko Milisavljevic 15, Sinica 9,
Steponas Babrauskas 8

Game for the third place
Zalgiris - TU/Rock 73:72Zalgiris clinched the third spot at the Presidents Cup today. The
Lithuanian champions narrowly defeated Estonian TU/Rock to bounce
back after the semifinal loss to Lietuvos Rytas. TU/Rock jumped to
an early 9:2 lead as
Giorgi Tsintsadze (192-G-86) buried
5 points. However
Ratko Varda (216-C/F-79) and
Marcus Brown (193-G-74, agency:
Higher Vision Sports, college:
Murray St.) dragged Zalgiris back
in contest. The Lithuanian team trailed by 5 points at the end of
the first period.
Tanoka Beard (205-F/C-71, agency:
Arik Krayn Services, college:
Boise St.) and
Asko Paade (206-F-84) extended the
margin to 9 points at the beginning of the second term. TU/Rock
later used a 6:0 rally to enjoy a 13-point advantage midway through
the period. TU/Rock maintained the pressure and ensured a 43:35 lead
at halftime. Zalgiris came back to life early in the third quarter.
They went on an 8:0 surge to shave the deficit to 3 points. Later
six points from
Paulius Jankunas (203-F-84, agency:
Interperformances) allowed Zalgiris
to draw things level at 51. Kullamae and Talts put TU/Rock back in
charge as they headed into the fourth term up by a single point
57:56.
Paulius Jankunas and
Ratko Varda scored 6 points and
Zalgiris spurred in front. The teams traded baskets throughout the
final quarter and Deane set Zalgiris ahead 73:70 with 49 seconds
remaining.
Asko Paade cut the deficit back to
minimal with a jumper.
Loren Woods (213-C-78, agency:
Arik Krayn Services, college:
Arizona) lost the ball but
Giorgi Tsintsadze missed a
potential go-ahead jump shot and Zalgiris secured the winning
outcome.
Marcus Brown finished with 15
points for Zalgiris.
Ratko Varda added 13 points, while
Paulius Jankunas had 11 points in
the win.
Tanoka Beard replied with 19 points
and 7 rebounds for TU/Rock.
Giorgi Tsintsadze contributed 15
points and 8 rebounds in defeat. Zalgiris:
Marcus Brown 15,
Ratko Varda 13,
Paulius Jankunas 11TU/Rock:
Tanoka Beard 19,
Giorgi Tsintsadze 15

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